# Alexander Bah

Alexander Hartmann Bah (born 9 December 1997) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Primeira Liga club Benfica and the Denmark national team.
After coming through Næsby's youth academy, he was promoted to the first team in 2016, and later represented fellow Danish side HB Køge and spent two years with SønderjyskE in Danish Superliga. In January 2021, Bah joined Slavia Prague, where he won the Czech First League and Czech Cup in 2021 and was named the Czech First League's Defender of the Season in 2022, and then transferred to Benfica for €8 million.
After representing Denmark at various youth levels, Bah was called up to the full international team for the first time in November 2020. He scored on his international debut against Sweden, and went on to represent the side at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.

## Early life

Bah was born in Årslev on the island of Funen, Denmark, and is of Danish and Gambian descent. He later attended efterskole education at ISI Idrætsefterskole in Ikast, where he also made appearances for local side Ikast FS.

## Club career
### Early career

Bah started his footballing career with local club Aarslev Boldklub, where he played for ten years before joining B 1913. He joined Næsby Boldklub three years later, in the spring of 2013, because the club according to Bah "[...] had a good reputation for developing young players". Furthermore, his youth coach Andreas Bech had also moved to Næsby Boldklub, which was also a significant factor in Bah's choice. After attending ISI Idrætsefterskole in Ikast in 2014–15, he returned to Næsby.

### Næsby Boldklub

Bah made his breakthrough on the first team of Næsby Boldklub in the spring of 2016. He started on the bench in the first three games of the season, where he impressed as a substitute. He made his first start in the fourth matchday of the spring against Avarta on 2 April 2016, which Næsby won 4–0 at home at ALPI Arena Næsby, putting on a strong performance. He continued the season as a starter during the spring of 2016, where he made a total of six assists in 16 appearances in the third-tier Danish 2nd Division.

### HB Køge

In August 2016, it was announced that Bah moved to HB Køge, where he signed a three-year contract. He made his debut for the club in the Danish Cup as part of the starting lineup, where he played the first 60 minutes before being replaced by Ahmed Hassan in a 0–2 win over Karlslunde IF in the 1st round. In November 2017, he was named "Talent of the Year", also known as the "Danske Bank Award", for HB Køge in 2017.

### SønderjyskE

On 7 August 2018, Bah signed a five-year contract with Danish Superliga club SønderjyskE. He arrived at the club as a right winger, but largely played as a right wing-back with great success, which, among other things, have contributed to SønderjyskE winning a Danish Cup title and Bah making his full international debut for the Denmark national team. He was among the three nominated for Superliga Player of the Month in November 2020, but saw the award go to Jesper Lindstrøm of Brøndby IF.

### Slavia Prague

On 5 January 2021, Bah signed for Czech First League club Slavia Prague on a four-and-a-half-year contract. In doing so, SønderjyskE received a club record fee reported to be around DKK 13 million. He made his debut for the club as a starter on 16 January in a 3–1 win over Sigma Olomouc. Bah arrived at the club as a replacement for Vladimír Coufal, who left the for English Premier League side West Ham United, during the season, quickly became a starter in the right-back slot, after impressing his coach Jindřich Trpišovský for his defensive positioning and attacking play, helping his team win the domestic double of the Czech First League and Czech Cup.
The following season, Bah was named the Czech First League's Defender of the Season, making 26 appearances and scoring three goals as Slavia Prague finished runners-up behind Viktoria Plzeň, while also helping the club reached the quarter-finals of the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League, where his team were eliminated, after losing 6–4 on aggregate to eventual finalists Feyenoord.

### Benfica

On 7 June 2022, Bah signed a five-year contract with Primeira Liga side Benfica, for a reported fee of €8 million, joining former Slavia Prague teammate Petar Musa. He made his debut for the club on 5 August, replacing Gilberto in the 63rd minute and providing the assist for Rafa Silva's goal in a 4–0 home win over Arouca in the Primeira Liga.

## International career

Bah represented Denmark at under-20 and under-21, for a total of 2 caps.
On 9 November 2020, he was called up to Kasper Hjulmand's senior squad for the friendly against Sweden due to several cancellations from, among others, the Danish national team players playing in England, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, as well as a case of COVID-19 in the squad, which had put several national team players in quarantine. He came on as a substitute at half-time during the match against Sweden and scored the final goal in a 2–0 win at Brøndby Stadium in his debut match, on 11 November 2020.

## Style of play

Bah is mainly known for his speed, energy and offensive capabilities, as well as his technique, creativity and crossing ability. He is capable of playing as a full-back or winger on the right flank. He is an aggressive player who attacks spaces and seeks to break deep blocks with accurate passes, capable of receiving a pass from on the byline and finding the penalty spot with a pinpoint cross to allow his teammate to convert.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 8 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Næsby | 2015–16 | Danish 2nd Division | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Næsby | 2016–17 | Danish 2nd Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Næsby | Total | Total | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 0 |
| HB Køge | 2016–17 | Danish 1st Division | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 4 |
| HB Køge | 2017–18 | Danish 1st Division | 30 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 4 |
| HB Køge | 2018–19 | Danish 1st Division | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| HB Køge | Total | Total | 59 | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | 9 |
| SønderjyskE | 2018–19 | Danish Superliga | 21 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 26 | 3 |
| SønderjyskE | 2019–20 | Danish Superliga | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 1 |
| SønderjyskE | 2020–21 | Danish Superliga | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 4 |
| SønderjyskE | Total | Total | 62 | 7 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 8 |
| Slavia Prague | 2020–21 | Czech First League | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 |
| Slavia Prague | 2021–22 | Czech First League | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 3 | — | — | 42 | 6 |
| Slavia Prague | Total | Total | 43 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 7 |
| Benfica | 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 1 |
| Benfica | 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| Benfica | 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| Benfica | Total | Total | 65 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 103 | 5 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 246 | 22 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 327 | 29 |
* ↑ Includes Danish Cup, Czech Cup, Taça de Portugal
* ↑ Includes Taça da Liga
* ↑ Appearances in Danish Superliga relegation play-offs
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League, eleven appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa Conference League
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

### International

    As of match played 15 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Denmark | 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| Denmark | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| Denmark | 2022 | 4 | 0 |
| Denmark | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| Denmark | 2024 | 11 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 20 | 1 |
    As of match played 15 November 2024
    Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bah goal.
List of international goals scored by Alexander Bah :
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 11 November 2020 | Brøndby Stadium, Brøndbyvester, Denmark | 1 | Sweden | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |

## Honours

SønderjyskE
* Danish Cup: 2019–20
Slavia Prague
* Czech First League: 2020–21
* Czech Cup: 2020–21
Benfica
* Primeira Liga: 2022–23
* Taça da Liga: 2024–25
* Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2023
Individual
* Danish 1st Division Talent of the Year: 2017
* Czech First League Defender of the Season: 2022